Will Stretching Help Stiff Muscles in Older People?

Aging can wreak havoc on your body—especially if you are genetically prone to certain conditions. This is most certainly true if you haven't kept up with your fitness over the years. Your muscles will lose their strength over time, and unless you lead an active lifestyle in your senior years, your muscles can become stiff. Stretching on a daily basis will help ease stiff muscles in older people and, if combined with a healthy diet and a measure of aerobic activity, can lead to an improved range of movement.

Choosing Your Stretching Exercises

• Choosing what kind of stretching exercises you want to use to ease your stiff muscles is your first order of business. There are the basic stretches that you may have used when you were younger to warm up before a cardio workout, but you might want to consider yoga. A variety of Hatha yoga poses, both seated and standing, will ease the stiffness from your muscles in a gentle manner. You are urged to start slowly and progress at your own rate. They are stretches you can perform on a daily basis to keep you limber.

Warm Up First

• Even the young should approach a stretching routine with a measure of caution; that fact makes it even more imperative for the young-at-heart. Stretching in itself isn't inherently bad—it's the attitude that more and longer is better. It takes time to ease the stiffness out of your muscles and last thing you want is to have a setback because of an injury. Spend some time warming up before you stretch. Take a brisk 15-minute walk around the block or, if you're confined to the house because of inclement weather, march on the spot, pumping your arms in time with your steps.

Take Your Time

• As with any exercise program, you have to start slowly and build momentum when your fitness level has increased. Whether you're performing neck rolls or stretching to touch your hands toward your feet, it's better to stop well before you experience any discomfort or excessive pulling sensations. Easing your stiff muscles will be a work in progress. Start with stretching for 15 minutes later in the afternoon once a day. When your muscles are less stiff, work in a 15-minute session in the morning as well.

Safety Tip

• Check with your health-care provider before beginning an exercise program for the first time, if you have been away from fitness programs for a while, or if you have any chronic health issues.